Open Studio for Lee Middleman, Ceramic Artist ~ May 1st & 2nd (Art for the Home, Office or Listing)

In my ceramic forms, I seek to create shapes that reflect the curves
found in Nature and patterns and textures that emphasize the organic
interplay between order and randomness.

Highly Textured

The tactile feel and visual look of surface textures are essential to my
pieces. My recent work is focused on creating textures by deeply
impressing patterns into thrown cylinders without distorting the overall
shape. The cylinder is then expanded from only the inside to create the
final form. This technique allows the pattern to evolve as the clay
twists and expands. As the pattern adjusts to the shape and function
of the vessel, it becomes reflective of Nature’s adaptation to the form -
as the size and shape of a reptile’s scales gradually vary along its body

Hand Built Stoneware

For high-fire pieces, the glazing process enhances the natural aesthetic
of the order and randomness. Thinly glazed surfaces highlight the
macropatterns and reveal the stoneware clay’s micro-texture created
during the expansion process.
Wood Fire:
This body of work is created and fired in wood kilns in Japan, Korea,
and China. It is for exhibition and sale in these countries only.
Simple textures and surfaces are used to compliment the fire effects.

Wood Fired

"For wood fired pieces, the firing process enhances the
natural aesthetic of the order and randomness."

Wood Fired

My goal is to pursue the interplay of shape, surface texture, ordered
patterns, and random effects so that work is created that intrigues
the eye and demands to be touched.